


Out of Character

by orphan_account



Category: Phan, Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, College, M/M, New love, Phan - Freeform, Puppy Love, beginning stages, wtphat do i tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-02-10
Packaged: 2018-05-16 12:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5829508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Dan, a music composition major, meets Phil, a production major, in a Guitar Center and sees no reason to see him again; Until he does.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Two Days

**Author's Note:**

> ok im nevous this is my first phan fic but im really excited and ik this is short but the chapters will be longer this is just to begin w  
> also i will be alternating points of view i think  
> thanks for checking this out :~)

He'd only met Phil two days ago at the Guitar Center down the street and saw no reason to see him again.

Sure Phil was probably flirting when he complimented Dan's eye color and made a remark about how cute it was that Dan fidgets with his hands while he talks.

Sure Phil was also a six-foot British 19-year old who moved to a college in America because they had a great arts program and campus.

Sure Phil made Dan feel admired and less alone.

But they only spent 45 minutes together and these things could be dismissed. Dan had let himself get caught up in too many relationships simply based off of the fact that the person was cute and sweet, and damn it, he was going to prove to himself that he didn't need to fall in love with everyone who was nice to him. But that did not mean he was not going to think about him, alright, let him live.

Phil had been looking for a guitar and guitar lessonbook for his mum's birthday presents. He said she had time on her hands but was reluctant to join her friend's crocheting class and wanted to learn something more interesting. Dan bought an extra pack of strings and gave them to Phil to send to her as a birthday present from him as well, thinking it was a nice gesture. Besides, Dan still couldn't find the right guitar for himself and he hated leaving a store without buying something (especially one you spent almost an hour in.) 

He'd had the perfect guitar that was given to him by a family friend back home when he was in Year 6 but it broke when some dickhead shoved him and his gift to the ground for "talking gay." He had barely started to learn how to play "Come As You Are" by Nirvana the day before and never could find a guitar that suited him well enough after that.

Two days had passed since meeting Phil and Dan consistently tried to make a physical effort to keep himself from thinking about the icy-blue eyed boy who captured his attention and had yet to let it free. Two days of self evaluation and wondering what was so absolutely interesting about him. Two days and Dan could not seem to shake the feeling that Phil wasn't a minor character in his life.


	2. Rosie

You know when you meet someone at school and you'd never seen them before but then now that you know they exist, you see them a lot?

That wasn't happening for Phil and he was irritated. It had been two days since he met Dan and every where he went on campus he looked around hoping he would run into him. He was  thinking about this concept while walking to English class and suddenly his book wasn't in his hand anymore and his vision had gone weird for a moment. He realized he bumped directly into someone and they both reached for his book at the same time while muttering "sorry" under their breath. Phil's heart was in his throat when he was about to look up, he hadn't seen who they were yet and he was filled with electric hope that the person next to him would be wearing all black and would blush at any compliment Phil might give them.

It wasn't Dan. It was some Katy or someone who he had in a class last semester. And they were very much, not Dan. Phil secretly had hoped that moment would end up being like a cliché movie, but alas.

Another few days passed and Phil had pretty much given up all hope of meeting the beautiful boy with the big smile again, although he really didn't want to. He had been encompassing most of Phil's thoughts every waking moment of every day since they sat in the lounge area of Guitar Center and talked about Muse and Arcade Fire and music in general. Dan took hold of most of the conversation but Phil didn't mind; He agreed with a lot of what Dan had to say and enjoyed hearing him talk (they were from different parts of England, Phil the North, and Dan the South, so they had dissimilar accents.) His eyes seemed to light up when he started talking about a particular band or artist, almost like he didn't ever really say his opinions out loud. If that were the case, Phil hoped Dan had liked his company just as much too.

It wasn't until Day 5 post-Dan that Phil saw him again. He almost thought it wasn't him but he recognized the same very cute fidgety hands during conversation. He was standing near a large tree and he and a girl with a loud laugh that almost matched Dan's and Phil wished he could hear the joke Dan made. Phil was suddenly incredibly aware of how weird he must've looked staring at the only other Jolly Green Giant sized person in the courtyard, but he had been waiting almost a week for this, each day seemingly never-ending, and he wasn't going to let the moment get away.

His legs felt like jelly but he managed to walk over to the mass of black clothes he hadn't been able to be peel his eyes from next to a short brunette girl in high-waisted shorts and a red tee shirt. Whether this is lucky or not, Phil didn't know but, Dan had been immersed in conversation with his friend and hadn't seen Phil walking up yet. He thought about backing out and turning onto the sidewalk and toward his dorm room. As he got closer, Dan noticed him and smiled even bigger than he already was.

'Guess there's no turning back now,' Phil thought.

"Erm, hi," Phil waved slightly, one hand in his pocket, the other grabbing the strap of his backpack slung on one shoulder.

"Phil! Hi!" Dan laughed, leftovers from the previous joke his friend made. Phil kept calling her his friend and really hoped, but doubted, that's all she was. Why had he assumed Dan liked him in any way other than a friend? He was probably just too nice to say that he wasn't interested in the way that Phil clearly was.

"I wanted to come say hi, because I hadn't see you around," Phil smiled but his body language inward and tiny, self conscious. "You're busy though, I'll catch you some other time," he said, quick to save himself from embarrassment.

"What? No, don't go, we were just having a laugh about the new episode of Master Chef last night. Do you watch it?"

"Yeah, if I have time. Last night was pretty great," Phil laughed, suddenly remembering the mishaps of the night and how a contestant cried over their soufflé not rising properly.

"It was! Oh, shit, I'm being rude, aren't I? Phil this is Rosie, Rosie this is Phil. I met him last week at Guitar Center and he's from..." Dan said, leaving an opening for Phil to say where he was from.

"Lancashire."

"Lancashire," Dan said again, directed toward Rosie.

"Oh! Where in Lancashire?" Rosie perked up.

"Rawtenstall," Phil answered shortly. He wasn't really meaning to come off as rude but he still felt overwhelmingly jealous of this girl Rosie. If she noticed his slight dislike, she didn't show it.

"My aunt on my dad's side is from there! Dan forgot to mention this but I'm his cousin from my mom's side. My parents met at Reading 1987. Dad's from the North, Mum's from the South," Rosie chirped. She seemed to be very happy and talkative all the time because she spent the next five minutes telling the story of how her parents met, only stopping to breath a couple of times per minute.

Dan looked over at Phil, clearly amused at how overwhelmed he seemed to be by the sudden burst of conversation. It wasn't until Phil noticed Dan looking at him that he blushed and realized something Rosie had said. They're cousins. He was getting jealous and possessive over a boy he'd only talked to once and they were just cousins.

"Damn it! Is that the time? I need to get to Psychology, I'll see you later Dan, nice meeting you Phil!" she beamed from ear to ear and threw her backpack over her shoulder, quickly walking toward the building behind them.

"She didn't look at her watch."

"Hm?"

"She freaked out about the time, but never looked at her watch," Phil inquired.

"Right, well I gave her a look that basically told her to leave because I wanted to spend time with you where we were not discussing what led to Rosie's parents shagging in a station wagon, where she happened nine months later. Spoiler alert."

"Oh," Phil turned that very irritating color of beet red again.

"Is that all right?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Well where were you heading right now?"

"My dorm room, I wanted to go grab my wallet and then head to get something to eat."

"That sounds great, can I join you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> had trouble finishing this chapter and i've had horrible writer's block
> 
> excited for next chapter


	3. French's

Dan had awkwardly stood outside of Phil's dorm room door, not wanting to cross any boundaries (Phil really wouldn't have cared either way but he also simultaneously was conscious of how messy his half of the room was) and he was trying to keep a confident appearance because oh god how the fuck did he ask to go to lunch with Phil so easily? He felt like curling up in this empty hallway and wishing to go back in time to not ask Phil where he was going next. He wanted to spend time with him but this one-on-one meeting would definitely be pushing his luck. He hadn't embarrassed himself at Guitar Center, apart from when he snorted after Phil made a really bad innuendo and hadn't caught it, and he didn't want to see if he could last another meeting without making an absolute fool of himself.

Phil walked through his door without his backpack and a fresh shirt. He was in  gray cotton that fit him loosely and looked faded from years of cycles in the washing machine, and his hair seemed to be combed through quickly. He was shoving his wallet in his pocket and had his phone in his left hand while he locked the door. With his back facing the hallway, Dan watched his back muscles contract and move while he jiggled the handle to make sure it was locked.

Dan quickly had to look at his phone so he wouldn't be caught and when Phil turned around, the brown-haired boy put his phone away.

"Constantly playing apps," he nervously laughed about himself, though he hadn't anything opened, he literally just unlocked and locked it. Quickly changing the subject, "Where did you want to go for lunch?"

"French's?" Phil offered.

"Never been there, but I pass it all the time. I'd love to try it," Dan smiled.

Phil nodded and extended his arm as a gesture of 'after you.' They headed toward the courtyard where they ran into each other just fifteen minutes before and down a few blocks from there to a yellow and red paint-chipped diner with a large sign out front that said "French's" in ballpark-style font.

***

"Hey, Phil!"

"How's it going, Lorraine?" Phil said, ignoring the "WE'LL SEAT YOU" sign and leading Dan toward a corner booth at the back of the restaurant.

"It's goin' alright, Iliana just started her Driver's Ed last week. She's growin' up too fast," she called back from a table she was wiping off nearby.

"They always do. Tell her I said happy birthday when the big day comes, sixteen is a big deal," Phil said to the plump blonde, wearing a 50's style waitress dress. She smiled and nodded, walking to the front to grab menus for the pair. "A booth okay?" He asked Dan.

Dan nodded, in awe of the relationship between Lorraine and Phil. He seemed so mature and he got along so well with adults. Dan had trouble just speaking to his professors about deadlines; What if he couldn't keep up and Phil thought he was stupid or childish? His thoughts were interrupted by Lorraine coming by with water and menus, placing both in front of the pair.

"This is my favorite spot because its along the wall of windows," Phil said, breaking the small silence Dan had created.

"Come here a lot, do you?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"A couple times a week," Phil shrugged, grabbing a menu and reading the drink choices.

"For how long?"

"Since freshman year."

"Two years?"

"Yep, they have great food for any meal, breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Or so I've heard. I order the same thing every time. They just give me the menu in case I decide to try something else. But it's always the usual," Phil blushed.

"I think that's really cool. I've always wanted a 'regular' thing. Like going to a coffee shop and everyone there knows my order or something," he replied, wanting Phil not to feel like Dan was weirded out, though he wasn't sure why he would think that.

"You do?"

"Yeah. I'm jealous," Dan smiled. Phil's body seemed to relax more for the rest of their date. But Dan wants to make it very clear to himself that this isn't really a date. He doesn't even know if Phil likes him in any way more than a friend.

Phil ordered his usual with an orange juice, which Dan was curious to see, and he ordered a cheeseburger with a side of seasoned fries, and a chocolate milkshake.

Dan initiated a conversation about Lord of the Rings because he had just finally bought the Return of the King on DVD and was excited to have completed his collection. They were discussing the importance of keeping certain character backgrounds in the translation from novel to movies, when their food arrived. Dan was practically drooling, his food smelled incredible. Phil's plate of food looked just as good. It was a sandwich made of french toast as the bread, sliced ham layered in it, strawberry halves, and syrup glaze.

"How are you not 300 pounds?"

"Fast metabolism," Phil laughed.

"Jesus, it looks great," Dan said, referring to both Phil's dish as well as his own.

They both started eating and Phil asked what Dan was majoring in.

"Music composition. I can't imagine my life being enjoyable without being surrounded by music. What's yours?"

"Production. I want to help produce film and documentaries. I can't imagine my life without helping people. Plus, I really love media as well and what it can do for people. Figured this is the best way to combine the two. When did you start playing music?"

"Since I was a kid, I was really in love with all types of media. I would watch the news or read the paper, even though I couldn't understand any of the events just yet, I dreamt of acting in plays and movies, and I started writing songs at a young age after falling in love with a radio my mum bought me for a Christmas present. Once I learned to play the piano, I knew music was the number one thing in my life. I learned instrument after instrument and now here I am."

"What instruments do you play?"

"Shit, umm, piano, harmonica, saxophone, viola, violin, piccolo, cello, bass, oboe, flute, clarinet, drums, ukelele, french horn, tuba, and I want to learn the guitar."

Dan waited for a response but Phil just kind of seemed baffled and suddenly Dan's face was hot and red again and he looked down into his food.

"I think that's incredible. I've always wanted to learn instruments but I never had the time or patience. I've never met someone that talented before."

"You've never heard me, I could be complete rubbish," Dan replied, eyes still glued to his fries.

"That'll have to change soon then, won't it?"

"You want to hang out again?" Dan hadn't meant to say it out loud and ohgodwhythefuckdidhealwayslooklikeanidiot is what ran through his head immediately. He probably seemed so rude and Phil probably thought he didn't want to see him again.

"Of course. I still don't know your favorite color or favorite movie. These are things I need answers to. And look at that," Phil glanced dramatically to his watch, "we're out of time, because I have to get to Film History." Phil took his last sip of orange juice and reached into his wallet, leafing through the bills and setting a stack down on the counter, then standing up.

"How much was my food?" Dan asked getting his wallet out.

"I got it covered."

"Phil, no I feel bad. I can pay."

"First date is on me," Phil insisted.

Dan was too in love shock that Phil called their lunch a date to answer. But did he mean a platonic date like "let's catch up, haven't seen you in years let's make a date for coffee," or "I want to kiss you goodbye after our date?"

"Okay... Well for the record, my favorite color i-"

"Nope. Out of time remember? Next time."

"Or we could just text?"

'Where the hell did that come from?' Dan thought. He was not the type to imply number exchanging. First asking to join Phil to lunch, now numbers? What the hell had gotten into him??

Phil pulled his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it, handing it to Dan after opening a new contact page. Dan entered his number and added the alien emoji next to his name for good measure.

"I'll text you," Phil promised. Okay, he didn't promise but his eyes felt like they said more than just those three words and Dan felt like he was melting into them. Dan broke their eye contact and starting standing up so they could head back toward the college.

"Looking forward to it," Dan replied, once again, completely out of character but not uncomfortable with how confident he was acting around Phil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i might honestly end this here???? i haven't decided. it could be cute as a stopping point here but i could continue it idk
> 
> feeling uninspired writing wise lately


End file.
